ROBERT POCOCK. 53 



Perplexed by bills being printed for the parish by 

 Caddell for the militia." [The rival press.] 



"Friday, November Ibth. Spent the evening at 

 ' the George/ 



"Sunday, November 17th. Walked to Northfleet 

 with Mr. Grafter into the cliffs, where we saw a mar- 

 tin flying about. One of the men said two martins 

 had been flying about in the morning, and also yester- 

 day. Bought a virgin flint for sixpence. SaW in 

 bloom wild endive (dandelion). 



"Monday, November 18th. Mr. Lancaster, a fisher- 

 man, brought me a left-handed whelk, and a piece of 

 rock from Lewis Island, which appears as crystallized 

 hornblende. 



" Tuesday, November 19th. It appears that the comet 

 passed its perihelion about September 12th, 1811, when 

 its perihelion distance was about 95,000,000 miles, and 

 made its nearest approach to the earth about the middle 

 of October, being then 10,800,000 miles distant. The 

 space in the heavens occupied by its train extended 12, 

 so that the length of its tail was not less than 33,000,000 

 miles. The inclination of its orbit was about 73. 



" Wednesday, November 20th. Heard that a stone 

 had been placed yesterday on the sea wall at the 

 extremity of the parish of Milton, having on one side 

 the words 'Port of London, 181 1/ and on the east 

 side ' Port of Leigh/ 



" Thursday, November 21st. 43rd Regiment came 

 into town from Billericay. Went with Mr. Clarke from 

 Exeter to see a machine invented to move forward 

 boats and vessels in canals (by Mr. Sheldrake, of the 

 Strand, London). Found the machine composed of a 

 vertical wheel worked in with oblique iron screw, and 



